Anyone Had Previous Dealings?

[midas]

After experiencing the property market in Bangkok f what can or four years I firmly believe the Pattaya

property market has many dubious characters ! I can certainly say categorically

it takes a great deal of effort to get an honest deal in Pattaya compared to Bangkok and the worst people

to deal with in Pattaya are some of the foreign estate agents and owners and not Thai's !

I recently answered an advert in the Pattaya Mail to rent a condominium in Pattaya on a long-term

basis. The owner or at least the person who claims to be the owner was a Dr.Rudolf B.Stuessi.

I found my entire dealings with this gentleman to cause suspicion and provide many reasons to feel

uneasy about his behavior and even his background.

After I had responded to his advertisement by SMS, he immediately telephoned me with an

overwhelming enthusiasm!

While he claimed he didn't need the money and was only interested to rent the property out if he found

a " nice person " on a long-term basis it was only after I had made a specific journey from Bangkok

to Pattaya to see the property he then said all the rent for the 12 months term would HAVE TO BE

paid upfront !!!! I told him that in previous posts on Thai Visa members had generally expressed

disapproval with this practice but can you believe he urged me not to believe what I read on

the Internet but to rely more on my own judgment ! By now he seemed desperate and was

almost using high-pressure tactics to get me to agree to the 12 month advance payment at which point

I told him quite emphatically if the deal relied on that he could forget it and we might as well terminate

our discussions. In previous telephone discussions and again during our meeting I had emphasised

I would pay three months rent in advance and he would be able to speak to my landlord in Bangkok

with whom I have had an excellent relationship who would be most willing to provide a first-class

reference. He claimed the reason for his insistence on

the advance payment was to ensure I wouldn't leave before the end of the lease but my concern

was that if the property was sold before the lease term was finished I may be out-of-pocket if the

subsequent buyer failed to recognise the lease.

The entire mannerisms of this gentleman made me suspicious. He claims to be a lawyer but

having dealt with many lawyers myself he just didn't have the same prudence as a normal lawyer

would have. He seemed totally oblivious to my concern which for a lawyer just isn't consistent ?

After asking him in which area of the law he had practiced he said had been an international

mergers and acquisitions lawyer in Switzerland but later in an e-mail he claimed he had also

been president

of the criminal court of Switzerland for eight years and he had been a Colonel

in the Swiss Army. In addition to this, he had lived in Thailand for 14 years !

All of a sudden we are starting to run out of years because he's not that old!

His whole appearance and mannerisms as well as his approach to these

discussions gave me a very bad feeling. I just wondered if anyone in Pattaya knows of this

person or has had any previous dealings ?

[PattayaXpat]

Pattaya is a mecca for nutters

[chiang mai]

After experiencing the property market in Bangkok f what can or four years I firmly believe the Pattaya

property market has many dubious characters ! I can certainly say categorically

it takes a great deal of effort to get an honest deal in Pattaya compared to Bangkok and the worst people

to deal with in Pattaya are some of the foreign estate agents and owners and not Thai's !

I recently answered an advert in the Pattaya Mail to rent a condominium in Pattaya on a long-term

basis. The owner or at least the person who claims to be the owner was a Dr.Rudolf B.Stuessi.

I found my entire dealings with this gentleman to cause suspicion and provide many reasons to feel

uneasy about his behavior and even his background.

After I had responded to his advertisement by SMS, he immediately telephoned me with an

overwhelming enthusiasm!

While he claimed he didn't need the money and was only interested to rent the property out if he found

a " nice person " on a long-term basis it was only after I had made a specific journey from Bangkok

to Pattaya to see the property he then said all the rent for the 12 months term would HAVE TO BE

paid upfront !!!! I told him that in previous posts on Thai Visa members had generally expressed

disapproval with this practice but can you believe he urged me not to believe what I read on

the Internet but to rely more on my own judgment ! By now he seemed desperate and was

almost using high-pressure tactics to get me to agree to the 12 month advance payment at which point

I told him quite emphatically if the deal relied on that he could forget it and we might as well terminate

our discussions. In previous telephone discussions and again during our meeting I had emphasised

I would pay three months rent in advance and he would be able to speak to my landlord in Bangkok

with whom I have had an excellent relationship who would be most willing to provide a first-class

reference. He claimed the reason for his insistence on

the advance payment was to ensure I wouldn't leave before the end of the lease but my concern

was that if the property was sold before the lease term was finished I may be out-of-pocket if the

subsequent buyer failed to recognise the lease.

The entire mannerisms of this gentleman made me suspicious. He claims to be a lawyer but

having dealt with many lawyers myself he just didn't have the same prudence as a normal lawyer

would have. He seemed totally oblivious to my concern which for a lawyer just isn't consistent ?

After asking him in which area of the law he had practiced he said had been an international

mergers and acquisitions lawyer in Switzerland but later in an e-mail he claimed he had also

been president

of the criminal court of Switzerland for eight years and he had been a Colonel

in the Swiss Army. In addition to this, he had lived in Thailand for 14 years !

All of a sudden we are starting to run out of years because he's not that old!

His whole appearance and mannerisms as well as his approach to these

discussions gave me a very bad feeling. I just wondered if anyone in Pattaya knows of this

person or has had any previous dealings ?

I don't know the character you refer to but have come across a very suspicious Swiss gentleman in Chiang Mai. Claimed to have been a senior officer in the Swiss military and even bought in a large framed photo of himself in uniform (just the sort of thing you carry around with you in your suitcase whilst on holiday). He also claimed to be connected with the Swiss government and said he currently lived in Fiji. Affable, friendly and said he owned a chain of jewelry shops in Europe. What clinched it for us was when my wife bought a neat looking watch in the market for 100 baht and when he admired it we asked him how much he thought it was worth - when he replied several hundred Swiss Francs we bid him a fond farewell, never to be seen again.

You did the right thing to walk away from the deal that you did.

[bmanly]

Midas, I have never heard of this person. You did the right thing, walk away from clowns wanting so much money up front. Keep looking my friend, you will find one that is right eventually.

I don't know if you are in Pattaya right now but if possible try to book into an apartment or cheap hotel for a week while you go looking for a condo, it gives you time and you won't need to travel for each viewing from BKK. Hope that helps.

[icecubes]

To be honest mate you could have asked the financial questions over the phone.

there was no need to travel to pattaya to find that out.

But thanks for the warning about this guy to us all.

Have a nice day.

[midas]

To be honest mate you could have asked the financial questions over the phone.

there was no need to travel to pattaya to find that out.

But thanks for the warning about this guy to us all.

Have a nice day.

icecubes thanks for your comments. I don't think it would've been possible

to extract this information before I got down there..............

we specifically mentioned rent and payment patterns and he didn't

mention anything about advance payment until I got there-

I think he obviously keeps quiet on this issue until he has you

face-to-face to try this on. I am sure there must be some

people who have fallen for this and he probably regards it

just as a numbers game!

[johnh101]

Switzerland has a Military ?

[mr_hippo]

Switzerland has a Military ?

There's a Swiss Army pen knife!

Seriously, I believe that they still have conscription, a small Navy and even have specially adapted mountain bikes.

[Simmo]

Switzerland has a Military ?

It's more like a militia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_of_Switzerland

[taxexile]

mountain bikes.....

..... with skis instead of wheels.

[kmart]

Switzerland has a Military ?

They issue their battalions with their famous pen-knives.

You can imagine weapons drill..... "Corkscrew..... Out!!!!" etc.

They have to guard all that nazi gold somehow.

[midas]

Switzerland has a Military ?

They issue their battalions with their famous pen-knives.

You can imagine weapons drill..... "Corkscrew..... Out!!!!" etc.

They have to guard all that nazi gold somehow.

so he could been telling the truth after all in that if the Army is so small

-anyone can become a colonel

[moo9]

Rule No.1 - don't trust any real estate agent in Pattaya

Rule No. 2 - think well before signing any agreement

Rule No. 3 - Never sign anything, before anything is not installed, fixed, repaired

Rule No. 4 - trust nobody in Pattaya unless you know the person for a long long time

Rule No. 5 - Take time, never ever decide under pressure

After 2 bad experiences I know what I talk about. Apart from this, I really like it here.

[pepsi666]

Switzerland has a Military ?

They also have a Navy AND an Air Force and they MUST be very good, because even the Germans never invaded them, even Steve McQueen couldnt get in there

I wonder what they are doing while their Colonel is flogging condo rentals though

Edited February 7, 2007 by pepsi666

[icecubes]

Counting all the money and gold in the banks that’s not there’s.

What a life they all have had, for staying neutral.

Why do they need any military?

That’s it to guard the gold and money.

[midas]

I feel good this morning because my gut instinct seems to have been right !

yesterday I sent a quick email to the Federal Department of Justice and Police

General Secretariat in Berne Switzerland asking them if a person by the name of

Dr.Rudolf B.Stuessi has ever held the position of President of the Criminal Court

of Switzerland as he claimed ! The answer came back overnight saying

their records do not show this persons name as having held this position

[4.real]

I suppose it depends on the deal [years rent in advance] . I paid 15 months in advance as I was happy with the property and I knew the lady was living in france with her french husband. No regrets .it was a hel_l of a good cut price because of the long term commitment and I ended up buying the property at a good price. I am very happy here...

[raro]

Switzerland has a Military ?

I remember well making holidays on a camping site in a narrow valley in Southern Switzerland. Heard some noise and looked up....there was a shooting range on one side of the valley and the targets on the opposite side, the bullets flying over our heads.

It is one of the most militarised countires in the world...

now back to topic....if you smell just something slightly fishy in Pattaya, walk away from the business. Ask for references that you can verify! Phone numbers etc...

I was once almost set up by a German con artist who did not even have a passport. I was able to find that out through my informal network and insisting of submiting a passport copy and a letter from the embassy stating that he has a clean background.

never heard from him again

[Chang_paarp]

Switzerland has a Military ?

It is the Swiss guard who guard the Pope.

Yes beneath the fancy clothes are well trained military men. All long serving members of the Swiss Army.

[Briggsy]

Anyone who claims to have been in any intelligence service or any kind of special forces sets my alarm bells ringing.

Many people in Thailand, both locals and foreigners, have difficulty separating reality from fantasy. Never leave home without your common sense and don't allow anyone to talk you into doing something you're not comfortable with.

[Prakanong]

"Anyone who claims to have been in any intelligence service or any kind of special forces sets my alarm bells ringing."

ROFL - I remember a bloke I met at the Samui Regatta saying to me, "I have never met so many ex-SAS and ex-CIA men in my life as I have met in Thailand" - we both guffawed

[midas]

"Anyone who claims to have been in any intelligence service or any kind of special forces sets my alarm bells ringing."

ROFL - I remember a bloke I met at the Samui Regatta saying to me, "I have never met so many ex-SAS and ex-CIA men in my life as I have met in Thailand" - we both guffawed

To be fair Dr.Rudolf B.Stuessi or whatever his real name is never claimed to be

special services -just a regular Colonel

but now we know his claim to have also been President of the Swiss criminal court

is also a load of b**********t - nothing he said could probably be relied on

[bobbin]

Alright, I have lurked on thaivisa for over 3 years and never been sufficiently motivated to get off my butt and make a post, even tho I have benefited greatly from other's contributions. Here goes post #1. I HAVE had dealiings with Dr. Steussi. I rented a condo from him 4 years ago on arriving in Pattaya. He was my landlord for 18 months. He respected my privacy and returned my deposit without argument when I left the condo for a larger one. I had given him 1st months rent, one month inadvance and one months rent as security deposit. After the first month I paid him month to month. Perhaps he has had some negative experience with renters since then to explain his desire for payment of one years rent in advance. I do not know. What I do know is that this issue is fundamentally a failure to agree to terms. Happens all the time. What I have not ever seen in 3 years of reading posts on many topics is a sustained personal attack on an individual such as midas is doing in this post. Researching someone's CV? Come on. I think midas will be a busy man if that is his new pre-occupation in the Land of Smiles.

Also, as I have just registered in order to post, I would draw the moderators attention to rules 1 and 2 on the registration page regarding defamatory and inflamatory posts which midas who has over 350 posts should be well aware exist.

[icecubes]

Like I said at the start,

He could have extracted the information form this

guy with out ever leaving Bangkok, via the telephone, but he chose not to.

Strange way to conduct business.

In Thailand money should be your first thought and the last thing you finalize.

Sorry welcome to Thai visa, Pattaya.

Edited February 8, 2007 by icecubes

[LaoPo]

Alright, I have lurked on thaivisa for over 3 years and never been sufficiently motivated to get off my butt and make a post, even tho I have benefited greatly from other's contributions.

Here goes post #1. I HAVE had dealiings with Dr. Steussi. I rented a condo from him 4 years ago on arriving in Pattaya. He was my landlord for 18 months.

He respected my privacy and returned my deposit without argument when I left the condo for a larger one. I had given him 1st months rent, one month inadvance and one months rent as security deposit. After the first month I paid him month to month. Perhaps he has had some negative experience with renters since then to explain his desire for payment of one years rent in advance. I do not know. What I do know is that this issue is fundamentally a failure to agree to terms. Happens all the time. What I have not ever seen in 3 years of reading posts on many topics is a sustained personal attack on an individual such as midas is doing in this post. Researching someone's CV? Come on. I think midas will be a busy man if that is his new pre-occupation in the Land of Smiles.

Also, as I have just registered in order to post, I would draw the moderators attention to rules 1 and 2 on the registration page regarding defamatory and inflamatory posts which midas who has over 350 posts should be well aware exist.

Well at least one person (with his 1st post) seams to know this "Dr. Rudolf B. Stuessi" (not Steussi as you misspelled).

Hmm...for a well respected and wellknown Swiss Dr. -President of the Criminal Court of Switzerland- I am amazed I can't find anything on this gentleman on several searching sites.

But may you have a copy of his passport. That would help.

btw: welcome on this forum

LaoPo

[midas]

Alright, I have lurked on thaivisa for over 3 years and never been sufficiently motivated to get off my butt and make a post, even tho I have benefited greatly from other's contributions. Here goes post #1. I HAVE had dealiings with Dr. Steussi. I rented a condo from him 4 years ago on arriving in Pattaya. He was my landlord for 18 months. He respected my privacy and returned my deposit without argument when I left the condo for a larger one. I had given him 1st months rent, one month inadvance and one months rent as security deposit. After the first month I paid him month to month. Perhaps he has had some negative experience with renters since then to explain his desire for payment of one years rent in advance. I do not know. What I do know is that this issue is fundamentally a failure to agree to terms. Happens all the time. What I have not ever seen in 3 years of reading posts on many topics is a sustained personal attack on an individual such as midas is doing in this post. Researching someone's CV? Come on. I think midas will be a busy man if that is his new pre-occupation in the Land of Smiles.

Also, as I have just registered in order to post, I would draw the moderators attention to rules 1 and 2 on the registration page regarding defamatory and inflamatory posts which midas who has over 350 posts should be well aware exist.

bobbin I beg to differ with you. something I failed to mention in my posting was that

Dr. Rudolf B. Stuessi also deceptive in other ways. obviously living in Bangkok at present

I asked him to send me photographs of the cono before going down to Pattaya.

After actually seeing the property I realise even the photographs waere a misrepresentation

and were definitely those of another property which had much bigger balconies and much bigger

floor area So no it's not just a " a failure to agree to terms " ! And with regards to your

comments as to what represents " defamatory and inflamatory posts" on this forum - there is nothing

defamatory or inflamatory about reciting one's experiences with someone like Dr. Rudolf B. Stuessi

who I have now proven tried to feed me a load of b ************t My research

of his CV as you put it was a worthwhile investment of my time which backed my instinct

that this guy is a shyster ( please look up the dictionary definition of that word - its most appropriate

in this instance )

[helicoptor]

I think it is unfair to tar all estate agents with the same brush..

There are unscrupulous types in every kind of industry - you just have to be vigilant.

Regarding properties for Sale/Rent, there are more than enough to choose from in Pattaya and the surrounding areas as such good deals can be had as long as you are prepared to set out your own criteria/budget and stick to it; negotiating is all part of the fun

We have just moved into a 3 bed 2 bath place, they wanted 35K per month, 2 months deposit and one month in advance on a 12 month lease.

We negotiated it down to 25K PM, one month deposit on a six month lease, result was everyone was satisfied. Contracts were drawn up in English and Thai and we are more than happy (to date).

Because of the number of properties there are available we were very aware that we held all the cards, so to speak.

[midas]

I think it is unfair to tar all estate agents with the same brush..

There are unscrupulous types in every kind of industry - you just have to be vigilant.

Regarding properties for Sale/Rent, there are more than enough to choose from in Pattaya and the surrounding areas as such good deals can be had as long as you are prepared to set out your own criteria/budget and stick to it; negotiating is all part of the fun

We have just moved into a 3 bed 2 bath place, they wanted 35K per month, 2 months deposit and one month in advance on a 12 month lease.

We negotiated it down to 25K PM, one month deposit on a six month lease, result was everyone was satisfied. Contracts were drawn up in English and Thai and we are more than happy (to date).

Because of the number of properties there are available we were very aware that we held all the cards, so to speak.

helicoptor I agree there are some straightforward estate agents in Pattaya.

but this guy said he was not an agent but the owner . But when we got to

the property he didn't know his way around, he didn't have the right keys

and when inside the condo was obviously unfamiliar with the interior.

His excuse was he hadn't seen the inside for two years he kept reinforcing

that money wasn't an issue and he couldn't be bothered renting it out

unless he got a " nice person " as a tenant ( substitute that for sucker )

And yet he was only prepared to deal on the basis of one years advance

rent - can you see the inconsistencies

[bobbin]

Post #2. midas, I have not quoted your reply to my initial (1st) post because frankly I have not figured out out how to do it yet. My point in posting was to respond to your enquiry as to whether anyone has had previous dealings with the person being "discussed". That post is further up the thread and easily referenced. Note the sentence " He respected my privacy and returned my (security) deposit without argument...". What more does a renter require from a landlord? As to my point that this is fundamentally a "failure to agree to terms", which you dispute, I maintain my stance that this is the key issue. He wanted a years rent in advance and you refused. End of story. As for your subjective impressions of his character, they are irrelevant to this issue. You were disappointed and I was not. Are your experiences more valid than mine? Considering that I actually did business with this man and you did not. Business being defined as money changing hands.

Your posts in this thread smack of "tabloid journalism". Throw enough mud in the hope that some will stick. And some may indeed stick. Not because what you say is true but simply because you say it in a public forum.

[midas]

Post #2. midas, I have not quoted your reply to my initial (1st) post because frankly I have not figured out out how to do it yet. My point in posting was to respond to your enquiry as to whether anyone has had previous dealings with the person being "discussed". That post is further up the thread and easily referenced. Note the sentence " He respected my privacy and returned my (security) deposit without argument...". What more does a renter require from a landlord? As to my point that this is fundamentally a "failure to agree to terms", which you dispute, I maintain my stance that this is the key issue. He wanted a years rent in advance and you refused. End of story. As for your subjective impressions of his character, they are irrelevant to this issue. You were disappointed and I was not. Are your experiences more valid than mine? Considering that I actually did business with this man and you did not. Business being defined as money changing hands.

Your posts in this thread smack of "tabloid journalism". Throw enough mud in the hope that some will stick. And some may indeed stick. Not because what you say is true but simply because you say it in a public forum.

bobbin the purpose of my posting was ( a ) to ask if anyone else in Pattaya had ever experienced

dealing with Dr. Rudolf B. Stuessi and ( b ) to describe the series of events I experienced so that

others can at least be aware of how this man operates. I am just as much entitled to write about

what very well could have amounted to a dishonest act as you are ! Surely you have heard of

" Caveat emptor "

It is not just a matter of " He wanted a years rent in advance and you refused. End of story "-

he could have and should have told me this was an essential part of any deal before I had

wasted my time traveling to Pattaya - we obviously specifically discussed rent and he made

no mention of this before our meeting ? It is such a vital part of any lease transaction and

there would be so few people around that would even contemplate this that it's not something

any reasonable landlord would take for granted.

Here is a question for you - Why would any legitimate property owner be prepared to walk away from

a tenant who offered to pay every quarter ( very few tenants would even agree to to do that -

see other recent postings on this forum regarding lump sum payments ) as well as

to provide a reference from the person from whom I have rented in Bangkok over the last four years ?

Dont you think it's rather strange that someone that has a vacant apartment isn't even prepared to explore

other combinations - for example asking a higher rent as a trade-off for not getting 12 months upfront ?

May be I would've been prepared to pay a premium to compensate for three month payments

but it wasn't even discussed

And even more suspicious was how Dr. Rudolf B. Stuessi was desperate in his attempt

to convince me not to believe what others

said on forums such as this -in fact he smacked of desperation ? I'm sorry but it just doesn't

add up and after I specifically asked about rental payments on the telephone while I was still in

Bangkok he deliberately kept quiet about this until I had actually arrived in Pattaya. That is deceptive !

You are obviously a keen supporter and fan of Dr. Rudolf B. Stuessi so perhaps you would care to

give your comments to the following questions regarding the way he behaved :-

1.do you think someone that is ' straight up-and-down " should deliberately send photographs

of an entirely different property to an interested party ? doesnt that tell you something about the lack of integrity

of someone?

2. why tell someone you have held key positions when quite obviously you haven't ? whether or not you enjoyed

a positive experience from dealing with Dr. Rudolf B. Stuessi -surely there is now a cloud hanging over

his entire credibility ?

I conceed my experiences are indeed no more valid than yours but I think based on the series

of events that occured in my case, even if this information comes in useful to one other person

who finds himself dealing with Dr. Rudolf B. Stuessi then my posting would have been worthwhile